Safety device for envelops



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

A.H.DANNER. SAFETY DEVICE FOR BNVELOPS.

No. 598,859. Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

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A. H. DANNBR. SAFETY DEVICE FOR ENVELOPS.

Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

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AARON H. DANNER, on MANHEIM, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ENVELOPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,859, dated February 8, 1898.

Application filed April 20, 1897I To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AARON H. DANNER, of Manheim, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Safety Device for Envelops, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is a device designed to be placed Within an envelop to prevent the fraudulent opening of the envelop by steaming or otherwise relaxing the mucilage which holds the envelop closed.

This specification is the disclosure of two forms of my invention, while the claims define the actual scope of the conception.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an elevational View of one form of the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device in use. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the device. Fig. 4 is a front view of a third form of the invention, and Fig. 5 is a rear view of said third form.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 consists in an inner envelop A, designed to contain the letter and to be sealed in the usual manner. The envelop A should be inserted within the exterior envelop B, which latter envelop should also be sealed, as usual. The envelop A is provided with two lines A of gum or mucilage. When the envelop A is inserted within the envelop B, the lines A of mucilage should be moistened, so that the two envelops will adhere to each other, care having been taken to place the lines of mucilage against the inner surface of the front face of the envelop, as indicated in Fig. 2. With such an arrangement it is impossible to lift the sealing-flap of the envelop A without relaxing the gum on the lines A. This relaxation of the gum can only be attained by steaming the front face of the envelop B. Such steaming of the envelop B will destroy the address thereof and give evidence of, the fraudulent attempt to reach the letter. The lines A of mucilage may vary both in form and number. The lines A of mucilage are put on the side of the envelop A, which side has the sealing-flap, so that the Serial No- 632,999. (No model.)

sealing-flap will be cemented to the envelop B. It is thus impossible to open the envelop A without first relaxing the mucilage on the lines A. 4

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 consists in a strip 0 of paper or other flexible sheet material, having lines 0 and C of mucilage, respectively, on each face and adjacent to the side edges thereof. This device is adapted for use in place of an envelop having the lines of mucilage such as the envelop A. In using the second form of the invention an inner envelop containing the letter is placed within the envelop B. The sheet 0 has all of the lines of mucilage thereon moistened and is placed between the inner envelop and the front face of the outer envelop. The lines of mucilage on the sheet 0 will now adhere both to the inner envelop and to the front face of the outer envelop, so that itwill be impossible to remove the inner envelop without tearing away the parts or steaming the front face of the outer envelop. The specific manner illustrated of arranging the lines of mucilage on the sheet Oisinessential. The lines of mucilage may have any form ,provided there is mucilage on each side of the sheet 0.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5 consists in providing a single envelop of special construction, which envelop con tains the letter and has means for preventing the relaxation of the cement employed to hold the envelop. This species is composed of a .front flap D, a rear flap or body portion E, to which the front 'flap is joined, an inner rear fiap F, attached to the rear flap E at the bottom edge thereof oppositely to the front flap D, and side flaps G, attached to the rear flap E at the side edges thereof and oppositely to each other. To use the envelop, the inner rear flap F is folded up against the rear flap E, and then the side flaps G are folded inward and sealed against the flap F. Finally the front flap D is brought down over both the flaps F and G and sealed to all by means of lines of mucilage or cement H spread over both the parts F and G. The address is written on the outer face of the flap D, and to prevent the address being written on the flap E said flap is provided with dotted lines e, simulating the back of an ordinary envelop. Now to release the flap D by steaming the mucilage or cement H it will be absolutely imperative to blur the address on the flap D. Consequently the envelop is a safety one and cannot be opened by steaming the sealing-flap.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A safety device for envelops consisting in a piece of material having a cement-covered surface, the said piece of material being adapted to be cemented to the inner face of the envelop adjacent to the address thereon and being covered by the envelop when the envelop is sealed, whereby upon wetting the envelop to relax the cement, the address on the envelop will be blurred.

2. A safety-envelop having a rear flap or body portion, an inner rear flap carried at the bottom edge of the rear flap, a front flap carried at the top edge of the rear flap, the inner rear flap and the front flap being of a size equal approximately to that of the rear flap, and side flaps respectively carried on the said edges of the rear flap, the inner rear flap and the side flaps having cement thereon so that the front flap may be sealed down over the side flaps and the inner rear flap and the outer face of the flap or body portion having lines produced thereon to indicate that such flap is the back of the envelop.

AARON I-I. DANNER. Witnesses:

JOHN L. HERSHEY, JOHN W. GIsH. 

